


Chapter 6: One Step Closer

by BadgersQueen



Series: On The Road [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 06:46:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2099571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadgersQueen/pseuds/BadgersQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meredith finds herself thrown into a world of demons, angels, monsters and everything she'd believed to be actually real. With an unexpected companionship with the demon, Crowley, she finds that survival isn't the only thing she's going to get a lesson in...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chapter 6: One Step Closer

**Author's Note:**

> This Chapter is in Crowley's POV & was based off the song, "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri. 
> 
> Meredith is my OC & belongs to me.
> 
> Crowley & all things Supernatural do not belong to me.

[ Crowley's POV ]

 

It was nearly passed midnight before my human companion finally went to bed. I sat at my desk studying the colt. I glanced up every so often, watching the couch. She was tossing and turning again. This sleep terror that humans often get, from my knowledge, started last Thursday, sometime in the night. I set the gun down and got up. Walking over and standing over her. Meredith had the blankets pulled up, hiding herself, save for the very top of her head. She always slept with her back towards the rest of the room. I had no doubts she kept that small knife of hers clutched in her sweatshirt pocket. I reached out and brushed my fingers against the top of her head. I could feel her freeze in her sleep. Something about this amused me. The corner of my mouth turned upward and I chuckled to myself. The blankets clutched where I assumed her hand was and she turned over to glance up at me. 

"What?" She asked.

I could see the small flush in her cheeks, "You're not sleeping", I replied, "You keep tossing and turning. Have been for nearly a week", my shoulders shrugged ever so little. 

"And why would you care?" She frowned now. Those gray eyes carefully watching.

Again, I couldn't help but be amused. "I couldn't help but notice. Also couldn't help but notice that you don't sleep upstairs and you sleep here on the couch", I gestured, tilting my head off to the side.

"It's warmer in here", Meredith told me, sitting up, she kept looking at me as though irritated. I didn't blame her in the least. "I haven't slept in the past couple of nights and I would like to", she added.

"Just thought you'd like something softer", I smiled.

"I haven't slept on a decent mattress in months", She rubbed her eyes and sighed, "I don't mind sleeping on a couch, trust me", she waved her hand, "Look, you can play operation later when I'm awake", she softly laughed and something about that made me laugh in turn. 

"Have it your way", I told her, turning away but I didn't go back to my desk. I went to the far end of the room and sat down. I stretched and put my feet up on the foot rest and poured myself a drink at the table next to me.

After a few seconds or so, I heard foot shuffling and glanced up. Meredith stood there, hair a mess from not wearing her knitted hat and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She gave me a faint, tired smile before sitting down on the other side of the table. I looked away from her for a second, drinking from my glass but I could feel her staring at me. We had been in each other's presence for three months now. At first I wasn't sure why I would do business with a small blip of human life. Nothing but cockroaches to us in hell. But she wasn't like other humans. Much more alluring and hard to figure out. I kept playing that night at dinner over and over again. It was like that feeling of her hand on mine never seemed to go away. 

"Don't pout", Meredith spoke up after a few seconds, sighing, "Do you think we could amend our agreement?"

I turned and looked at her, "And exactly what would you like to amend?" 

"I need a few days out", She stated, "I'm going crazy. I usually never stay in a place this long", she said this so quickly it took me a second to figure out what she meant. 

"Hmm", I nodded, "And where is it would you like to go?" I wanted to know.

"I don't know", Meredith shrugged, "I'm not sleeping that's for sure. I'm still going to stay, I just need to stretch my legs. Maybe if you knew how it felt to be cooped up in one place"- 

I waved my hand to cut her off, "Fair enough. You can have every other day off as long as you don't mind me coming to collect you when your time is up".

"I'm not some soul-", She started to argue.

"I already gave you the option once to leave. I'm not going to give you a second try", I didn't mean to raise my voice at her, "You're a chew toy for more demons. You were sick on the side of the road when one of my clients scooped you up. Think that'll happen again? No. I'm not negotiating darling. Not with you". 

"Twice a week", She gesturing with a hand from beneath the blanket, staring me down stubbornly, "All I want is to walk around and get a coffee or go shopping or sit in the park".

"I'll think on it", I countered, not looking at her exactly.

I could hear Meredith huff loudly and annoyed at not being able to talk me into negotiating. When I glanced over, she'd gotten up and gone back to lay down. My gaze followed her and I couldn't help but become more intrigued. She'd put up a good fight. Feisty and perhaps even sexually charged, maybe? The way her hair curled when she was looking for an argument. Her gray eyes brightened and her face flushed whenever I looked in her direction. Last time I had detected a hint of want. When she told me to stay out of her head. The way she had looked. She wasn't angry. She was flushed. Taking another sip of my drink, I leaned back in my chair and enjoyed the sounds of the quiet room. I let her sleep through most of the next morning and found her making a bowl of cereal sometime past eleven. My dog at her feet.

"He seems to like you", I replied, leaning against the far counter, "Can I ask you a question?"

She nodded, taking a spoonful of cereal, "Uh, sure", she frowned slightly but gestured for me to continue.

"When's the last time you've been with someone physically?" I wanted to know.

Meredith nearly choked on her cereal, coughing and nearly dropping droplets of milk onto the floor, "Whaa--excuse me?!" She coughed into her hand.

"Just curious", I shrugged, "I noticed how bright your eyes get-"

"I don't care what you've noticed", she exclaimed, looking embarrassed, eyes on me and trying to hide the blush on her face, "It's not your business!" 

"Everything's my business", I pushed my hands into my pants pockets, "I thought I already explained that bit to you", I paused, "Your still a bit ruffled about last night then?" 

"Kind of and I'm bit pissed now too", She dumped out her cereal and rinsed out the bowl before storming out of the kitchen, my hell hound at her heels.

I sighed and caught up with her, making her nearly walk into me as I appeared in front of her in the hallway, "I thought about what you said. About wanting a night out", I eyed her for a second, "I keep to all of my contracts. So", I shrugged, "Tonight, around six".

"Are you trying to bribe me into forgiving you for the sex comment or for last night?" I asked.

"Neither really", I paused, becoming impatient, "Are you going to take my offer or not?" 

"Fine. Six", She sighed, crossing her arms and knowing she had no other choice.

I fixed her with a smile before disappearing from her sight. I left her to her own devices while I scoped out places she might like to go. Part of me felt like taking her back to that one restaurant but I decided against it. Color me interested but I would never admit it if asked. But she did interest me a great deal. I've been around for centuries on top of it. But no woman has ever interested me quite like her. I played my hand and got us a table at a restaurant for that night at six. I smiled to myself thinking about that night we had dinner together. I pressed my finger tips against the palm of my hand, remembering how soft to the touch her hand holding mine had been. One or two crossroad deals were made during that afternoon and I decided to mill about before getting back. It was nearing four or so when I found Meredith reading on the couch. 

"Hello darling, ready to go?" I asked, standing next to her and nearly making her jump.

"Go where?" She asked, staring at me in confusion.

But I didn't give her time to think about before bringing us to an overlook just on the outside of town. It had gotten dark early and the stars were starting to cover the night sky. I just stared up towards the sky, hands in my pockets. She glanced at me. I could feel her gaze on me, having memorized every squint and line on her face whenever she was curious or confused. 

"Why are we here?" She wanted to know. 

"Don't worry, this doesn't count for what I have planned but", I shrugged, turning to look at her, "I suppose it'd be impolite to ask you to dinner on such short notice. So, take it as an apology".

"What? Ask me out to dinner? Why didn't you just", She stumbled her words, a bit perplexed.

"Suppose I do have a motive", I told her, smirking. 

"And that being", Meredith waved her hands.

"Well, I don't", I said, shrugging.

She frowned at me. I hated lying to her but I was a demon after all. It's what we do. We stood there a while and she finally agreed to have dinner with me. Laughing as she did. Her smile would give heaven a run for it's money, I knew that much. It didn't take her long to get ready this time and she left her hair down to curl against her neck and shoulders. We were at our table at about six and I felt a sense of deja vu. I let her prattle on about what she'd discovered so far in her reading, though I realized she kept leaving out bits and pieces. What I had tried to discover from her for months now was how she had ended up by herself. But that she wouldn't even share with me in great detail. 

"Please tell me you didn't just ask me to dinner to hear me talk about stuff you probably already know about", Meredith laughed after twenty minutes.

"I like listening to you talk away", I chuckled, "I haven't heard you talk this much in quite a while", I frowned and reached across the table, taking her hand, "I told you I don't have a motive".

"Bull crap", She raised an eyebrow, "King of the Crossroads and your having dinner with me. I know as much about what the hell it is that's out there than some Swiss librarian hiding from a yeti", she laughed again, "I'm just a human, Crowley. The butt pimple of a society that lives among demons and angels or whatever", she waved her hand as she spoke, "And your telling me that you don't have a motive?"

"Sorry sweetheart, no", I grinned, though I didn't let go of her hand and was reluctant to. My face flushing however at the sound of my name on her lips. 

She smiled back, laughing and shaking her head. We were both reluctant to let go of the other. Though she slipped her hand away first when her food came. I was glad when the waitress took her plate away, leaving me to reach back out and take her hand again. I smiled at her and saw her face flush brightly again. She tilted her head and smiled back in return. Her gray eyes brightened under the lights. We both sipped our drinks, talking very little now. I kept watching her closely. My thumb brushing over her knuckles. It was as though her entire body had gone pink. This amused me. 

"It's no, by the way", Meredith spoke up, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Come again?" I asked.

"You asked me a question this morning and it's no. I've never been with anyone before", She looked me in the face as she said this, "Guys don't like me in that way. I'm just a friend to everyone", she shook her head, shrugging, "I'm nobody's type".

"How would you know if you've never found out?" I asked.

Meredith laughed, "I'm a tall awkward female that sits at her laptop researching the paranormal and ghosts and angels, watches horror movies and goes to comic conventions. I'm this human being who has been on her own for months and months and nobody has texted me or called", she waved her hand but keeping her voice down so only I could hear, "I'm not around enough to be anyone's type and I know I'm not yours", she flushed, pulling her hand away from mine, "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom", she got up. 

I nodded, watching her leave and go down towards the back of the restaurant. I sat there for a while, sipping my drink and mulling over what had just happened. It wasn't long until she came back. Her eyes were red round the edges. I could tell she'd been crying. For what reason, I wasn't sure. It wasn't like she would tell me. She muttered, "I'm fine" while sipping at her glass of water. I stared down at the table and then reached out to touch her arm, I felt her jump as though not expecting this. She didn't pull away however. We were both gone and back at the look out on the edge of town within seconds. Meredith went over to one of the benches and sat down, folding her arms. I stood a few feet away. 

"So what was the point of asking me to dinner?" She asked, turning to look at me.

"The point, love, was that there was no point", I responded, turning to look at her, "You ask someone to dinner, they tell you what's going on in their little old lives. They fall in love maybe", I gestured with a hand, "But maybe there was a point", I made a face, "But you can't trust what I say, right?"

"No motivation. No point. Was it just to get your sick kicks because I asked for one night off!" She yelled, "I didn't ask for your help! I could have left months ago when you gave me the chance but I thought about it and I didn't leave. Because I believed this was better and it's not!"

"Oh so you could have just died while that man's corpse rotted in the ground!" I threw back, "I stuck my neck out for you and your sitting there feeling sorry for yourself. Well excuse me for living!" 

"I shot a man in the leg for you!" She got to her feet, completely angry now, "Because of me, you know more about how to use that stupid gun!" 

"Darling, I would sit down if I were you", I warned. 

"I get it. Your bored. So you decided to mess with me this whole time! Once I'm useless, you'll just throw me away and get yourself another toy", she continued, "I've been aware of how demons work since that night I found you in that bar. You're right, I shouldn't have trusted you. You can now laugh it up because I'm the idiot-"

I suppose I could have let her prattle and yell at me or I could have killed her and nobody would have known about it but I didn't want to do either. I was angry about her talking back but she was so beautiful when she was angry. The way her hair seemed to look electrocuted. Her body language. I only had to take a few steps towards her before she knew what was happening. She was paralyzed in shock as I pulled her against me and pressed my lips to hers. Interrupting her. Her hands started to hit against my chest as though trying to fight me off but she stopped only after those few seconds. Her fingers curled around the front of my jacket and allowed me entrance into her mouth. I sucked against her lower lip and pressed my tongue against the wall of her mouth. One hand against the middle of her back. The kiss lasted a minute before I broke it. Her eyes stared at me, face flushed almost the same color as her hair. 

"You were saying?" I asked, smiling a little. 

"Why did you ask me to dinner?" She repeated, looking hurt and confused.

"I don't want your soul", I murmured, "I want you".

She stared back at me taking it all in. She looked more confused than I'd ever possibly seen her. She moved away from me, albeit reluctantly and stared at the ground. We said nothing for a time. When we got back to the study, Meredith draped the blanket over her shoulders and just stood by the fireplace. I watched her, not sure what to say exactly. Waiting for her to yell at me again. After what felt like an hour, she turned to me and walked over. 

"You don't want me", She told me.

"Oh but I do", I remarked, "But I suppose the right question is, do you want me?" I smirked at her.

She surprised me with a swift kiss against the cheek, hand pressed against my chest. I caught her smile out of the corner of my eye. That flush on her face.

"Crowley, this isn't going to end well", She said, face falling and looking serious, her voice far off, "I can't-" she shook her head, staring up at the ceiling.

"Oh but I can. King of the Crossroads, remember? I can do whatever I want", I smiled at her, "So are you or are you not going to agree to a second date?" I asked. Thinking to myself now I added quickly, "Get back to me when you sleep on it. Let all of this sink in first".

She nodded, not sure what had just happened. Clearly still flustered from the kiss and the evening as a whole. I smiled and took her hand, kissing it. She smiled in return and I left her to get ready for bed. When I came back from walking my dog, I found Meredith asleep on the couch, actually facing the room for once. Her face half buried by the blankets. I left my dog to guard her while I did some business elsewhere. 

Smiling to myself.


End file.
